Meanwhile In The Real World
by MissScaryKitty
Summary: When Dillinger orders the confiscation of ENCOM programmer Rachel Fitchner's life's work she decides to take drastic measures and steal her program in order to save it. Luckily her friend and long-time office crush Alan Bradley is there to help her.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I was browsing the site and I didn't see too many fics about Alan out there and I just love the guy. So here's an Alan fic to add to the list. Hope you like it! Also Lora and Alan are no longer together.

Takes place a few years after Kevin Flynn's dissapearance.

PART I

I was seriously thinking about my bottle of Xanax I had tucked away in the back of my kitchen cupboard at home- One of the little coping mechanisms I kept hidden away just in case all the normal remedies don't work. It's sitting back behind my eclectic tea cup collection just waiting to be dug out and have the dust brushed off of it. But I knew that I could not turn to it in this case. If I did I might not be able to stop myself from taking one the next day and the next day and so on… and I did not want it to have to be a coping mechanism at all.

So I didn't reach for my keys and leave for home but instead I leaned back in my seat and tapped the lid of my coffee cup in mild irritation. I was still not even sure if I liked coffee that much but I wanted one and I wanted a place to think. So I left my office and went to Garfunkel's across the street. Restaurants were a nice place to lose yourself in, especially if you only order a drink- everyone leaves you alone.

Fuck Dillinger. The guy is an asshole… a sexist, elitist, stuck-up snob, and an asshole. Fucking fuck. Fuck!

I slowly pulled at the roots of my hair with one hand, trying to be discreet about it; my knuckles beginning to whiten from my grip. I felt like kicking at the chair across from me but I didn't. There was so much that I want to do right then, but I refrained from it. I rested my forehead in my cool, dry hand and I stared at the table deep in thought. God I wanted to cry. I wanted an answer to my situation that was different from the only solution that I saw. Still, none came to mind, and therefore I was stuck with this single conclusion: I had to leave ENCOM.

Flynn… why did you leave? I liked you so much and we all worked so well together. We built a company with amazing credibility that had complete accountability to its workers. You understood us- the little people. You knew we wanted to create and discover and to have something of our own- something we could be proud of. We were all such good friends. Without you, that's all gone now. No CEO wants to do what you did. And no matter how hard people like Alan and I fight to keep your goals and values alive, there are people like Dillinger to silence us. We don't have any power anymore; not when the CEOs only care about stocks and numbers.

What this company had was so fantastic and so different from what another company had. And with the passing of Flynn, we will never see anything like it again. CEOs don't think like Flynn did; they don't care about their workers or their customers.

We were all a part of something so amazing- we thought to ourselves that this couldn't be real. And it was that way for a while but then when Flynn disappeared, it was as if we all snapped out of the dream and reality came flooding back in. Now that it's gone, I don't see how I can continue to work at ENCOM. The dream was dead and now it was time to leave- Cut your losses and move onto something different. But a fresh start just isn't possible when fucking Dillinger is claiming possession to all your personal files.

Dillinger again… and the board… the strongest reason for my resignation. Dillinger convinced the board that I should be suspended from my personal projects and hand all of them over for 'review'. The main thing he was after, of course, was my Kizuki program which I had been designing on my own time. The bastard obviously believed that it may be highly marketable, which it was, and wanted the company to claim possession of it.

Asshole… I hardly think that's even legal. They can't take my personal property from me… they shouldn't be able to anyways. Flynn would never have let something like this happen. If they take this from me, they'll be taking away years of my life's work and my future as an independent designer. I have everything riding on this program. They can't just take it from me, slap an ENCOM label on it, and sell it as their own. It is not their project to sell. Dillinger thinks otherwise, and if I have him pinned like I think I do, I know that he has found a way for the company to legally claim my projects.

I didn't know what to do. But that image of my Xanax bottle in the back cupboard was looking shittier and shittier and my rebellious anger was looking better and better. And suddenly I found myself thinking… what the fuck am I doing in this restaurant when the real battle is across the street? Just take your damn program and leave.

I threw some money down on the table and abruptly exited the restaurant.

Dillinger: The asshole in your life who just won't quit. The one who you just want to walk up to and tell them what a jerk-off fucker they really are. However I can't. The power play works out thusly: Dillinger's private two room office is on the eighteenth floor and my tiny, very public desk space is on the fifteenth. That's a few good stories and large degree of square-footage of separation between us.

How to describe Dillinger? A pompous ass millionaire who wears his Armani shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows pretending he works as hard as the people downstairs do. Oh yes, and he has a wireless keyboard he carries around and types on while he's pretending to listen to you talking. What an asshole right?

Anyways, he first started out our professional, office relationship by hitting on me, telling me that he liked me in high heels and that I should wear them around the office more often. This seriously happened. I told him to fuck off… and he only laughed at me. I can do a perfect imitation of the sleazy creeper look he gives me. People with money think they can say and do anything. Thank god Alan had overhead him and nearly rung his neck, lecturing him on respect and sexual harassment. I love Alan; he must have been horrified when he heard what Dillinger had said though.

Regardless of the tactic, Dillinger tries to make my life miserable. I believe he thinks it's fun; something a bored little rich boy can do to occupy himself with when he's not ruining the company. I could almost call what he does gender discrimination in the workplace if I had a good lawyer and money to pay them with… but I don't. Instead I have my quick wits and a sharp tongue… and sometimes Alan.

Well that's Dillinger in a nutshell. And I have put up with his shit long enough… too long in fact. Now I'm going to take what's mine and tell him to go fuck himself like I've always wanted to.

Marching through one of the many sets of glass double doors of EMCOM I headed through the security checkpoint. I showed the guard my office level, programmer's badge and he let me pass. I had clocked out for the day already and the security team had changed to the night shift guards. They were not the brightest… or fittest of low level security officers so I felt somewhat safe going in.

He waved 'hi' and let me through to the elevator bank.

I was nervous, but focused.

Once I reached the fifteenth floor, my floor, I began to make a B-line for my desk but was stopped by my surfer bum coworker Dan. Dan was one of those types who would leave their beach gear lying around their office space and come into work with sea salt crusted hair and flip flops- the type of guy you wondered how it was that he could hold a job. However, if there was one thing that could be said about Dan it was that he was a nice guy and he always wanted to know 'what's up' with you… which today was probably not the best day to be asking me that particular question. However, it was nice to know he cared about everyone enough to ask. And as I passed his desk, like clockwork, Dan rolled his little chair out from his desk and greeted me with a head nod.

"Hey Rachel, what's up? Workin' overtime?"

I shrugged and smiled, trying not to pick at the sleeves of my jacket which is what I always do when I'm nervous. "Yeah, there are a few things I need to finish up with." I told him, hoping he wouldn't make me elaborate.

"Uhg, blows." He said leaning back in his seat and crossing his legs in front of him. I then noticed that he actually wore tennis shoes today; quite a rare occasion.

"Totally." I sighed, sidestepping away from his desk, dying to get to my own.

"How was your break though?" He asked, running a hand through his scraggly blonde hair.

I pursed my lips in thought and then just settled with the first word that came to mind, "Enlightening."

Dan laughed, nodding his head as if he totally understood, "Nice."

"Well, um, I'll see you later." I said, giving him an awkward wave and immediately heading down the long row of cubicles. My little office was located ten cubicles down and twelve across- it sounded like a crossword puzzle but in this maze of wall dividers one could get terribly lost.

Turning into my office space, I dumped my currier bag next to my desk, pulled up my chair, and began my work. As my computer hummed to life I took a deep, calming breath. The blue glow from the screen lit up my little cubicle and everything seemed to come to life in that dark little space.

Strangely enough I wasn't asking myself if I really wanted to go through with this. I was scared to be sure, but there were no doubts as to what I wanted to do. The only thing that could stop me is if I were caught. So I kept repeating my objective over and over again until fear turned into exhilaration.

"Get in, get out." I whispered under my breath as I furiously typed in my access codes. "Get in, get out."

I knew I could not let my office hard drive be copied with the Kizuki program on it so I transferred the whole project to my backup and then deleted everything off of my original hard drive. I nearly had a fit of anxiety doing it but I knew I had to. As I wiped the whole thing clean, I clutched my backup drive against my stomach and told myself that I wasn't deleting my program, that it was safe in my hands.

Dillinger thought he was smart with his little handheld keyboard, well I was smarter. Not even Kevin Flynn himself could recover any of the files I took off that computer. By the time I was done with my PC it was picked dry save all the ENCOM owned projects that I had been working on. Technically, in the end, there was nothing of the company's that I took.

Once I was through, I shut down my computer and waited for my cubical to go black again. Slipping my backup drive into my bag I headed for the eighteenth floor.

It was so nice up here on the eighteenth floor, unlike the wall-to-wall grid of cubicles on the fifteenth. There were large windows, glass paneled offices, expansive seating areas with leather couches- it was really something.

There were only a few people left in their offices, the rest had gone home for the night. I avoided making eye contact with any of them as I headed straight for Dillinger's office.

Knowing that he never stayed in the office a minute longer than he had to, I knew that Dillinger was gone. So I didn't hesitate walking into his office and dropping my belongings down in his plushy chair. Rounding his desk I poked at his famous keyboard, my lips pursed in thought.

Destruction of personal property? Not an option. Then I thought of something with more of a personal touch.

I plucked the heels that Dillinger suggested I wear more often off my feet and slapped them on his desk. Funny I should be wearing these today, I thought with a grin. I left them in front of his keyboard with a note written in annoying purple pen that said,

"They'd look better on you.

-RF

PS- Go fuck yourself."

With that accomplished, I headed out of his office wearing the comfortable pair of flats I kept in my bag.

Feeling that the elevator was too slow and could cause unwanted run-ins I took the stairs- sprinting down eighteen floors. My adrenaline was at an all-time high right now and several excited victory screeches escaped my lips as I ran down the stairs. I knew I was heading into deep trouble but I was still extremely proud of myself. Once I reached the ground floor, I straightened my clothes inside the stairwell and then entered into the lobby.

Walking across the marble floor, I looked for the guard at the front desk to wave goodnight. He was on the phone talking something over with someone, which seemed somewhat strange to me. However when he saw me, the look on his face was all I needed to see to know that the shit had already hit the fan upstairs.

"Wait, I think she's here." He said into the receiver.

My heart seized in my chest but I forced myself to wave goodbye and keep walking to the door.

"Wait!" The guard called. "Rachel Fitchner?"

I turned around, my fingers wrapped around the door handle, and as if it were the most natural response in the world I said, "No, I'm Anna Layne. Goodnight though." And I exited the building, my heart racing a million miles an hour. Of course, when I was around the corner, I broke into a flat out run.

I was running down the street just outside of ENCOM when I heard my name being called again, only this time it was from a voice I recognized- a friendly voice. Turning to the street I saw Alan in his black Volvo, leaning his head out the window, trying to flag me down.

"Hey Alan," I said halting in the middle of the sidewalk, somewhat out of breath. Even though I was scared out of my mind, I couldn't help but smile when I saw his face; it was probably from relief. I quickly glanced over my shoulder to see if anyone was following behind me then turned my attention back to him hoping that whatever he wanted to say would be quick.

"Hey, do you need a ride home?" He asked, pulling up to the curb.

"Um…" I thought aloud, struggling for an answer as to what to do. God, if it were any other day I would have said yes to him in a heartbeat. I had a pretty huge crush on Alan that, taking the age and status difference into account, was kind of dirty. But somehow, as in most cases, it made the idea more appealing to me. He was my white knight in his trench coat and glasses- not every girl's dream, but he was mine.

As far as getting a ride from him, I knew that ENCOM's security team was after me and I couldn't waste one second standing around outside the building. So even though Alan was being really sweet, I was about to politely decline his offer. Then the thought hit me; I needed to get off the street. Taking a ride from Alan would be the perfect way to disappear.

Looking over my shoulder one more time to make sure no one was coming down the sidewalk I smiled at him and said, "You know, that would be great. Thanks Alan."

"No problem," he assured me, moving his trench coat and briefcase off of the passenger seat and arranging them in the back. As I ran around the front of the car, Alan reached across the center console and unlocked the door for me. Getting in beside him, I placed my currier bag on the floor between my feet.

All of the sudden I heard the harsh sounds of police sirens in the distance- and they sounded as if they were getting closer. I've never heard anything more unwelcoming. Calm down, I told myself as I pulled the car door shut, you don't know if they are after you. However, despite my own reassurances, I had the distinct feeling that they were. If the heads of ENCOM thought I had taken company property, there was no doubt that they would involve the police.

Putting my seatbelt on, I focused on the road in front of us and pushed the sirens out of my mind. Panicking would not help me in this situation at all. One quiet deep breath later and I was fully composed.

"Where do you live?" Alan asked pulling away from the curb.

I furrowed my brow for a second then I realized why his question seemed somewhat strange to me. "You've never been to my house before have you?" I asked, genuinely embarrassed that, after all the years we've worked together, Alan had never seen my house. Sure we occasionally saw each other outside of work, we were friends, but I suppose there was never any occasion to go to my house.

Alan thought about it, trying to remember if he'd ever come over with Kevin or someone from work, "No, I guess I haven't. But you're probably tired of seeing me every day at the office anyway, you don't need your work coming home with you." he joked, pulling into the rightmost lane.

"Oh come on," I defended myself, rubbing my palms on my knees. "Seeing you is the best part of my day."

The car grew somewhat silent then as we came up on the light at the corner. I can't believe I said that… better yet how was he reading what I had said? My toes curled up in my flats, trying to relieve the pain brought on by the utter awkwardness of this moment. As I shrunk down in my seat, I hoped that it was just me who thought my words came off as strange.

"Should I turn up here?" He asked, stopping at the red light. The noise of the sirens had grown significantly closer now. My heart began thumping in my chest, making it very difficult now to hide my anxiety.

"Uh… no, just keep going straight for a while. I'll tell you where to go."

Alan nodded and continued down the boulevard when the light turned green again. As we passed through another intersection I saw two cop cars pull up in front of ENCOM. Thankfully Alan was so concentrated on driving in the heavy seven o'clock traffic he didn't give the flashing lights in the rearview mirror much thought. Seeing them on the side street, he chuckled,

"Looks like someone's getting a ticket."

I laughed slightly; cringing afterwards at how forced it sounded. This was quickly becoming a really uncomfortable ride.

As I directed Alan through the city, I couldn't decide where I wanted to go. So far I was having him head northbound towards the suburbs. I was on edge and trying to concentrate on making it seem as if everything was alright with me, so thinking about a place to go for the night was quickly becoming difficult. I wondered if Alan saw the fear in my eyes or noticed that I kept checking the side mirror for cops. I felt really bad dragging him into this but I really needed him to get me out of there.

Hopefully they would realize that I didn't actually steal anything and leave me alone. But until I knew how they would perceive the situation, I had to keep running. And I knew that Dillinger would try to turn this story any way he could in order to claim possession of my project. So the chance of me being painted as a thief was the most likely outcome. I would just have to wait until the nightly news to hear the developments on my situation, as painful as that was. Then after that, I would know what to do.

It didn't occur to me until now that Alan would be questioned about his part in all of this. After all he was the reason why I was able to escape the police in time. God Alan... in about five minutes you're about to wish that you didn't know me.

I looked out the window and watched as the trees passed by. My view of lush green was then eclipsed by the tunnel that led into the suburbs across the bridge. It always surprised me how fast one could leave the city and find all this natural beauty. Of course this was around the posher neighborhoods so there were land ordinances about the natural wildlife. So the minute you crossed over the bridge the whole area changed.

However, something was different about the view of this area this time around. That's when I noticed how slow we were driving. Usually I saw the trees pass by twenty five miles faster than this. Finally noticing this unacceptable pace I began to become restless in my seat. There was no possible way that I was going to make at the rate we were going. I knew that the security monitors outside the building caught Alan picking me up in his car and which direction we drove off in. That was enough for me to be a nervous wreck I didn't need Alan's torturously slow driving to add to the odds.

Looking at the speedometer I saw that he was going exactly 45 and the road was empty save for two cars driving 55 in the other lane. We had gone across the bridge and were soon entering the area where Flynn's old house used to be. I had unintentionally I led us here and the thought put me on edge. For a brief moment I considered having him drive by the old house but then decided against it. I was emotional enough as it was.

Alan glanced over at me then, taking in a breath he asked me the question that I did not want to hear,

"Are you okay?" His gravelly voice betrayed his concern. I could tell by his tone he had wanted to say something for a while now.

The thought of having to come up with a lie made my body go rigid. I did not want to lie to Alan, especially since he seemed worried for me. It pulled at my heart knowing that he cared and even more so that he noticed my pain. Still, even though he had reached out to me, I had to push him away not matter how much it hurt.

"I'm fine." I shrugged, trying to reassure him with a little smile. However I could tell that my response was not convincing to him at all.

"Alan, could you drive a little faster?" I asked nervously lacing my fingers together in my lap; my hands were incredibly sweaty. "I'm kind of in a hurry." It wasn't until then that I noticed my leg was jumping, silently urging us to go faster.

"But I'm already driving five miles over the speed limit," he pointed out. "I don't want to get us into an accident."

I would have laughed if it wasn't so important that he go faster. "We could get into an accident driving so slow," I reasoned, trying to sound as if I were half joking. "No one drives the speed limit in California Alan; you have to go with the pace of the traffic."

"I just like being safe." He said, knowing he sounded lame. If it were any other man they would have accelerated just to show off or prove how ballsy they were. Alan however stuck to his principles of self control and as admirable and oddly sexy as I thought that was, for once, I wanted him to break the rules.

Suddenly I heard the sounds of police sirens once more only now they were coming from bridge. I looked out my window and saw them heading across the bay, there were at least two of them like from in front of ENCOM before. And as much as I tried to convince myself that they were not for me, it was not working and my anxiety broke in that second.

"Shit, Alan, stop the car." I demanded suddenly, hardly believing what I was about to do.

"What?" He asked, looking over to me in shock and confusion, probably thinking that I was crazy.

"Please! Please just stop the car!" I begged him, now desperate.

Startled by my distress, Alan immediately pulled off to the side of the road and threw the car in park. "Why, what's going on?" He asked thinking he was doing something terribly wrong.

"Too slow…" I cried as I pushed open the door of the car and ran around the front to the driver's seat, all the while cursing this insanity. "Fuck, I can't believe this is happening," I panted opening Alan's door. "Switch places with me," I demanded, scared and out of breath.

"What?" Alan asked, now taken completely aback.

"Just let me drive Alan!" I yelled, taking on the tone of a carjacker; I was dead fucking serious. The sirens were growing closer and closer and there was no time to argue with him. It felt as though I should be pointing a gun in his face at this moment but I didn't need one, I was a woman in distress and that was enough for Alan to do whatever I told him to.

"Alan please," I was desperate and begging him now, near hysterics. "I'm really sorry about this, if it were any other day I'd let you drive as slow as you want but today's different."

Alan quickly unhooked his seatbelt and got out of the car. I tried to slip past him and into the driver's seat but he caught hold of my shoulders and held me between him and the car's steel frame. "Rachel calm down. Will you just tell me what's going on?" He demanded, obviously irritated by my rash behavior. Honestly, I couldn't blame him.

I warily ran my fingers through my hair, expelling a deep sigh. What to say? Alan deserved an explanation but there was no way I could give it to him out here on the side of the road. I looked up from the ground and into his eyes. Alan couldn't hide his emotions behind his glasses like some people could. And seeing his concerns, his frustrations, and his worry all framed in his blue eyes made my heart heavy with guilt. I had dragged him into all of this… and it was too late to spare him from it now.

"We have to go." I told him, slipping out of his hold by sitting down in the driver's seat.

"But why?" He all but yelled, now stepping away from the Volvo.

I swung my legs inside and put my hands on the wheel.

"Just get in the car Alan." This time I was asking him. My tone was quiet and raw, revealing just how tired I really was. A tear fell over the rim of my eye and I quickly wiped it away.

Now restless from our fighting, Alan began to pace around slightly, his hands jammed in his pockets. Letting out a sigh he asked, "Are you going to tell me what all this is about first?"

I shook my head, firmly setting my terms of cooperation, "Not until you get in the car."

"Jesus Rachel!" He yelled, kicking at the ground in utter frustration. I knew I was being completely unreasonable, but I didn't see any other way of going about it. Alan would just have to forgive me for this.

"Alan please…" I was leaning forward in the seat now, trying to speak to him as calmly as possible "…we have to get out of here… I'm in trouble."

Alan's expression went blank then as he looked up at me. "What kind of trouble?" He asked, immediately switching into protective mode. Then hearing the sirens in the distance he looked from me to down the road then back to me again. I knew he was beginning to piece everything together.

"I'll tell you if you come with me." I said, pulling the seat forward so that I could reach the pedals.

Alan was silent for a moment then immediately rounded the car and got in. The second he buckled his seatbelt I sped off down the road.

From the moment I put the car in drive, the needle on the speedometer climbed to 75 in under thirty seconds. The scenery on the residential road sped by so quickly that the trees read as green blurs in my peripherals. I never was a particularly safe driver. I had a habit of always going at least 15 miles over the speed limit, but what I was doing at the moment was nothing short of crazy. In a way it gave me something in which I could channel my nerves into but still I don't think I was ever quite so careless in my adherence of the traffic laws as I was at that moment.

"Alright," Alan began. He was pressing his back into his seat, ready to brace himself for a crash at any moment. "Let's get one thing straight; those police cars are for you aren't they?"

"Yes," I confirmed, accelerating around the next corner.

Alan nodded, "I thought so." His body stiffened in his seat as I cut out from behind the car in front of us and blew past them, barely making the yellow light at the intersection. "Why are they after you?"

"ENCOM security called them…" I explained. "I quit, I walked out and took my Kizuki program with me."

"You stole the Kizuki program?"

Alan was in shock. And why shouldn't he be? The Rachel he knew would never do something like that. She was strong-willed, sharp, and a spitfire but she was also nice, a great friend, and extremely devoted to her work… she would never do something to damage her job or reputation. He must have thought I had snapped. And so far my current defense wasn't helping me combat this conclusion.

"I own Kizuki Alan, ENCOM doesn't have any legal rights to her." I argued, searching for the right words to defend myself. "She's my idea, created by me. You can't steal something that's already yours."

Alan gave me a troubled look; he was extremely concerned now. "But if you get caught Rachel…"

"They can't throw me in jail for removing my own property from my office computer," I argued. "And if ENCOM wants to bring this to court then I'll go. They can't have my program. I'd rather put her out there on the internet for free than to give her over to those assholes."

Alan was silent for a moment. He knew that I was resolute in my decision on this so he wasn't even going to try to convince me to play ball with the board. This was about more than property rights anyway, it was also about integrity. And with the police chasing after me, it was a bit late to be turning back.

"What made you decide to do this?" He asked, knowing that there had to be a good reason behind all of this.

I sensed Alan's trepidation when asking this question. I knew my answer wouldn't put him at ease; I was revealing how morally flawed the company had become. Still I might have saved him from assuming the worst. Although stepping back and viewing the bigger picture this probably was up there with the worst possibilities. If ENCOM was willing to do this to one of their employees, what else were they willing to do? And how many others did they plan on doing it to?

"Dillinger convinced the board to deny me access to my program. He was going to force me to give it over to the chair heads for review."

Alan's brow furrowed in confusion, "That's absurd, why would they do that?"

"They want to see if it's marketable," I explained, seeing that he was beginning to piece this together himself. "If it is then they'll take my name off of the project and sell it under the ENCOM label. They're stealing my work Alan."

He shook his head in disbelief, "But how can they do that?"

I rolled my eyes just thinking about Dillinger's lame excuse. Sadly it was enough to allow the board to do what they wanted. "Dillinger's saying some sort of shit about Kizuki being made on company property on company time- which it wasn't- so therefore it belongs to ENCOM and they have a right to seize control of it."

"That's ridiculous…" he said, his brow furrowed in anger. "What they're trying to do is clearly wrong."

"But they can still get away with it," I pointed out, bringing the car to a smooth stop at a red light.

Alan just shook his head in disgust, "Do have they have any ounce of integrity left?"

I let out a curt laugh, "Apparently not… We both know this isn't the first time something like this has happened."

It was true, Alan was very familiar with this kind of situation, having had his own Tron program confiscated by Dillinger senior in '83. That was at the same time when everyone was vying for Dillinger's blood over the Flynn/Space Paranoids scandal so naturally Alan won the fight. Nowadays it was a bit different. The name 'Dillinger' was worshiped by the board and the company's accountability to their workers had gone out the window with Flynn. It was all about sales, marketing, and profits now.

Keeping my eyes on the road I continued to speak. "Flynn would have never allowed this, he knew a programmer's work was their own- he wasn't a thief. As long as the board remains unchecked, they're going to keep doing things like this. If I didn't take my program, they would have."

Alan nodded, "You're right. You did what you had to. I just can't believe they'd try to do something like this." His voice was heavy and it made me sad to see him so disappointed by all this news. Alan had so many aspirations for ENCOM and to see it come to this was disheartening. Still I knew he wouldn't give up on the company, just like he wouldn't give up on Kevin.

"Thank you Alan," I said, reaching over and briefly squeezing his hand in mine. "It means a lot that you're on my side." It did too, I couldn't imagine what I would have done if Alan didn't support me in this.

Alan grinned sincerely, making me blush, "Of course. I'm always on your side Rachel."

Did I dare to hope that was a little confession? Lost in my thoughts on Alan's meaning, I flat out ran a red light. Luckily there was only one person turning at that moment and they were in the other lane. Alan gave me a stunned look, probably wondering if I had meant to do that. All I could do was let out a nervous laugh and sigh in relief when I realized that we were safe.

Alan pushed past the initial shock of my red light run knowing that this was not the right time for criticism. In fact he was very good at being level headed and focused about all of this, making me wonder if he's ever been in a high stakes situation like this before.

All I had to do to answer that question was remember that Kevin Flynn was his best friend. Kevin had a way of turning the world on its ear at any given moment and somehow always getting others involved in his escapades. So I'm sure Alan had some good stories under his belt. Thinking about it, I really liked the idea of Alan getting into trouble.

"Do you have a place to stay?" He asked, wanting to know what my plan was.

"No…" I said, slightly embarrassed. "I was thinking about checking into a motel somewhere up here. I haven't really thought it through yet. This was all a spur of the moment kind of thing."

Alan nodded and we both considered my poor position for a moment.

If it was decided that ENCOM could continue to peruse me, I would be able to stay in a motel room maybe one or two nights tops. Then after that I would have to keep moving around to stay ahead of any paper trail I might leave behind. And of course money was an issue when I'd have to start pulling it from the bank.

In the end, this was going to get me caught and we both knew it. A moment passed as I let this bad news sink in. Then Alan spoke,

"I know a place where you can go," he said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out his keys. "The arcade; it's quiet, you'll be able to have your privacy, and no one will know you're there."

I glanced over at him in surprise; I couldn't believe he was actually offering me a place to stay. The arcade was actually a perfect for me to lay low in but I didn't want to get Alan involved anymore than I already had. But before I could even open my mouth to protest, he took the set of keys to the arcade off of his key ring and set them down in the center console for me.

"Alan…" I began to argue, picking them up to give them back. But he eased my hand away.

"No, no, no, take them. You'll be safe there. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want to," he reassured me.

I wrapped my fingers around the keys somewhat guilty. "Thank you," I said, setting them next to me. I was extremely grateful for all his help but there was no possible way I could repay Alan for all this.

"If you make a turn up here, we can make our way back onto the freeway and get to the arcade."

"Sounds good," I said, pulling into the left turn lane. Easing down on the break, I made a precise U-turn at the next light and pressed down on the gas once we were out of the sharp curve. I heard Alan let out a breath he had been holding throughout the duration of my maneuver and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Where did you learn to drive like this?" Alan asked. I could sense that, beyond his fear of my aggressive driving skills, he was somewhat impressed.

Unable to hold back a grin, I merely shrugged, "video games."

We made it off the bridge safely without being spotted by the police. Now that we had a pretty firm plan for me, I eased up on the gas pedal a bit- much to Alan's relief.

It took some time to weave through the old backstreets to get to the arcade. The building was situated just on the edge of a seedier part of the city; seemingly quiet but crime riddled. The neighborhood and the surrounding area had grown old and poor over the years with no one around to care for it. This is where the invisible people of LA lived; where the cops never answered distress calls because they thought it wasn't worth risking their lives for and where the community no longer watched out for one another. It was a broken place that I would welcome as home for as long as it needed to be.

The sun had gone down a long time ago and the streetlamps had all turned on. The yellow glow masked the color of Alan's car from anyone who might be looking. Turning onto a side street of the main boulevard, the arcade came into view. It looked at home in the dark amongst the dilapidated buildings surrounding it. Nothing was open on the street except for a little place down the way which was too far to see what it was.

The Arcade itself stood tall, eerie, and vacant with its rusted, cracking TRON billboard situated on the roof. The old brick building looked far more intimidating than any other on the street. Its history might have been what gave it that strange aura I was feeling.

I pulled up next to the curb in front of the door and parked the car. Once I killed the engine I unhooked my seatbelt, Alan following my lead. We were silent about it the whole time.

"They really let this place go." I finally spoke, stepping out of the car. My voice sounded small in the quiet and still night. We were the only two people I could see up or down the street. It was a ghost town.

There seemed to be a spell over the two of us as we took in the sight in front of us. This place held so many memories… ghosts of the past.

Alan looked up at the old TRON billboard, taking in the damage it had sustained over the years. "Flynn used to oversee most of the upkeep." He explained, closing his car door. "This place hasn't been opened since he left."

I nodded, shutting my own door and getting onto the sidewalk. "That's good," I said, adjusting my currier bag on my shoulder.

Alan walked up beside me, looking down at me then, "Yeah, you'll be safe here. Nobody ever comes around."

I suddenly remembered that I still had his car key.

"Thanks," I said, holding it out to him; unable to hold back a smile.

Alan took it with a bit of a grin, "No problem."

I pulled out the arcade keys from my pocket and looked at the chained double doors.

"I guess this is goodbye." Alan said reluctantly, knowing that we had to split up now.

"Yeah…" I nodded. It felt as if someone had dropped stones in my stomach.

"Good luck."

"Thanks…" A tear rolled down my cheek, glinting in the light of the streetlamp. Alan watched me in concern as I wiped it away with the palm of my hand. Even though I tried to conceal my sadness with a smile, my glassy, tear-filled eyes told him everything he needed to know.

"Goodbye Alan," I said, wrapping my arms around him, holding onto him tightly. I really did not want to let him go. I didn't realize until then how much I was leaving behind; my job, my friends, my home. This was my life, but so was the program I had in my bag. It was my life's work; I could not let it go. But to keep it I was going to have to sacrifice so much. Still, I was resolved never to see my work in the hands of those criminals.

"I'm so sorry Rachel," Alan whispered, his breath warm against my hair.

"It's not your fault Alan," I told him, sniffing away my tears. "You tried your best with the company and I know you're going to keep on trying. You're the only good guy ENOCM has left. I'm just sad we couldn't fix things."

Alan held me for a moment longer, wanting to comfort me as best he could. I knew he thought some of this was his fault, that if he had been able to remain as acting CEO then none of this would have happened; that he could have protected me.

Knowing that I had to let him go, I reluctantly pulled away from his arms. The cold night air instantly replaced the warmth from his touch and I began to feel the loneliness begin to flood in.

It was still and dry out and the silence was begging me to say something to him- to do something. It might have been the last time that I was going to see Alan and I couldn't let him go without giving him some idea how I felt about him. Yet even though I burned to tell him, I couldn't find the courage to say anything. And since no words were leaving my lips I slowly backed away from him.

"Are you going to be okay?" Alan asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah," I nodded, stopping in my retreat. All the while my heart was screaming at me to tell him. "Thank you so much Alan."

I turned to the door then, my heart clenching painfully in my chest. Inserting the key into the pad lock, I released the chain that was wrapped around the double doors; all the while asking myself, was I really going to leave like this?

Over five years of my life I remained Alan's friend, never daring to hope for more. But now I had a chance to tell him how I felt- maybe my last chance. Yet there I was unlocking a door that I was soon to lock behind me. We were rounding on five long years of this torture, what was I doing letting this chance pass me by?

Suddenly I dropped the lock from my hands and began to run back to him.

"Alan…" I called. He turned around from his car to see what was wrong and without hesitation I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him with a passion I didn't even know I had.

Alan was so much taller than me that I had to stand on the tips of my toes to reach him but I managed. Then, like the graceless programmer that I was, I started to teeter off balance. Oh shit, I thought to myself; beginning to panic as I tried to maintain my footing. But then, before I fell away from him, I felt Alan's strong arms wrap around me, holding me safe against him. His lips began to move softly over my own and my heart jumped in elation.

New tears stung my eyes now as I buried my fingers in his graying hair. Alan wrapped his arms tighter around me, trying to pull me closer as he deepened the kiss. Swept up by his increasing fervor, I sighed longingly into his mouth. I had wanted to kiss Alan Bradley for years- it was better than I ever imagined it would be. My tears rolled down my cheeks and caught on the edge of my jaw-line. They hung there for a while until Alan wiped them away with a soft caress.

I wanted to tell him that after Flynn had disappeared, he was the only thing that kept me working at ENCOM. That out of everything I was leaving behind, I would miss him the most. I wanted to confess how that I daydreamed in my office cubicle about being with him even though we were friends and how I wondered if he ever had similar thoughts about me.

I slipped my currier bag from my shoulder and let it fall to the ground. I backed up against the side of the car then, bringing Alan with me. Seeing where I was leading us, Alan pressed me against the steel frame. The feel of his body against mine warmed me in an instant. He then moved his mouth from my lips to my neck. I sighed happily into the night air as I leaned my head against the car; the feel of Alan's hot lips against my sensitive flesh was ecstasy.

Then, missing the feel of his lips on mine, I gripped my fingers around his lapels and pulled him back up to my mouth. I ran the tip of my tongue across his bottom lip, begging him to explore me further. Alan paused in his ministrations at my invitation, deciding if it was alright to take it or not. Then cupping the side of my face in his large hand he dipped his tongue into my mouth. His touch warmed my whole body making me shiver in pleasure as he tasted me. Growing bolder, Alan flicked his tongue against my own coaxing me to meet his slow caresses. I eagerly complied.

We were lost in the feel of one other as we teased each other; not breaking away until we had to come up for air. My breath was hot and balmy against his skin as I nuzzled the side of his face, his glasses pressing against my temple.

Alan's taste was still fresh in my mouth and my body was burning from his touch. He was so close to me; holding my lithe frame flush against him and the car. I could feel his arousal pressing into my lower abdomen and I wanted nothing more than to drag him into the arcade and have him stay the night with me. However, I knew that I had to pull away and leave him behind. He could not follow me from this point on; not until my name was cleared. Nothing ever lasts, I told myself gripping tighter onto Alan. Still, we had each other for this moment.

"Will you be safe tonight?" He asked, his hands now resting on my hips.

"I think so," I breathed. He was so warm and inviting I just had to seek comfort in another lingering kiss. As we pulled away I wiped the tear trails from my cheeks.

"Just tell me it's going to be alright," I whispered, leaning my head against his chest. His heart was beating like mad.

Alan smoothed my hair down with his hands and gently caressed the side of my face.

"It's going to be alright Rachel," he said, reassuring me that even if it didn't seem like it would be, that he'd do everything in his power to make it so. Then he pulled me back to him, kissing me passionately.

Alan waited until I got inside before he drove off. Turning on the main power switch, I was greeted by dust, dried leaves, gaming machines, and David Bowie's _Cat People_. I had forgotten how dated this place really was. However, instead of being able to laugh about it, it sent chills down my spine. There were a lot of memories I made in here and the fact that I was alone in this huge place was very unsettling. It felt as if someone had died here.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I checked the locks on the front door again before walking further into the arcade. Space Paranoids caught my eye and I remembered how Flynn would play doubles with Sam on it. After his father's disappearance, the poor kid practically lived at Alan's.

I thought about playing it later if I got bored for old time's sake. But I wanted to get settled in first. The place seemed so untouched it felt as if I were trespassing.

I went upstairs to Flynn's office, which was an unbelievable mess. The place was completely covered in plastic tarps which had accumulated layers and layers of dust over the years. Pulling back one of them covering the couch, I brushed off the tan upholstery and curled up in the spot that I had made for myself.

Even though it was filthy and the dust was unhealthy, the moment I closed my eyes I felt myself drifting into a deep sleep. It was just me and Flynn that night in his old arcade, the feel of Alan's kiss still fresh on my lips. I would find myself waking up to _Love is a Battlefield_ the next morning and my face absent from the papers.

To Be Continued!

AN: Hey guys, I have no idea if it's a little late in the game to be publishing a TRON fic but hey whatever right? Please let me know what you think and I'll get the second chapter right up :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I rested my hand flat against Alan's front door. The white painted wood grain was smooth and cool against my palm. I was planning on knocking at some point, but such a simple action was becoming increasingly difficult as I took into account that Alan would come to the door and I would have to explain my reasons for being there.

I had just come from the launch of my Kizuki program for Microsoft that evening. The event was covered by CNN including a live interview beforehand. The experience was both intimidating and exhilarating with no time given to take in all that was happening.

I was confident in my program's success to be sure but the only recognition I thought I was going to get was my name on the product box. I didn't think that I would be ushered from interview to interview like I was Kevin Flynn or something. But people seemed to be genuinely interested in my story. Although I gave ENCOM some heat in the telling of it I left many details out… especially the ones which involved ENCOM Executive Consultant Alan Bradley. I don't think he would appreciate me naming him as my accomplice.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would become a primary software architect for Microsoft. Not to mention heading their new independent programmer's branch. I guess they thought I was their perfect poster girl. Even though I wasn't originally freelance, nothing says independent programmer like sticking it to ENCOM's Head Architect John Dillinger. Also I had the feeling Microsoft couldn't resist rubbing salt in the wound of their rival. Mr. Gates seemed to have somewhat of a competitive streak.

After the launch was over there were a number of places I could have been heading to that night; parties and socials where I could have rubbed elbows with Bill and all the other hot shots of Microsoft. Those choices would have made perfect sense… yet there I was, standing on Alan Bradley's doorstep uninvited and freezing in my little black Yves Saint Laurent dress and nude Max Mara heels.

I know that I should have been at the after party; the artistic director of MIP had practically begged me to go with him as his date. But I had to be honest with myself; I didn't want to celebrate with a bunch of people I didn't know. I wanted to be with Alan.

Ever since that night at the arcade I couldn't get him off of my mind. I had never been kissed like that before, nor had I ever had a friend who cared for me that much to help me as he did. Even though my life was headed in a completely different direction I couldn't allow myself to forget how Alan made me feel. Every time we were together I couldn't help but light up. I didn't want to forget about him and move on, not now, not for a hundred dates with artistic directors.

Yes, Microsoft was my job now and Alan worked for the enemy, but it wasn't my home. I didn't live in wacky 9-5 hour shifts with those people, or share lunches with them, or celebrate birthdays with them. ENCOM was where I got my start and my values as a programmer. Alan and I had a history together and I wasn't going to throw it away so I could sit on the artistic board of Microsoft. I wanted Alan in my life, not just in my past, but in my present and future. We might have something special together and I wanted to find out what it could be.

Pulling my hand back from Alan's front door, I sucked up my nerves and knocked. My heart leapt into my throat the moment that I did but I wasn't going to allow myself to run away. The entire taxi ride over I stared out the window at the orange, yellow, and green lights of the city speeding by, debating whether or not I should have the driver turn around and take me home.

I was worried that things had changed between Alan and me since our kiss in front of Flynn's. I began to wonder if I jeopardized our friendship because of it. It felt right to kiss him even after so many years of being strictly friends but now our relationship was now in between friendship and a romantic attachment. We never got the chance to sort out where we currently stood in our relationship and it had been months since I last saw him at Flynn's. I felt that it might be strange to just pick up where we left off and completely wrong to ignore that it happened.

A moment after I knocked on the door, the hall light in the house came on and I immediately began to straighten myself out; tugging at my hemline to get the wrinkles out of my dress.

"Just a second!" I heard Alan's voice call from inside the house.

My heart was now fluttering in my chest. Hearing the deadbolt click I quickly brushed my skirt into place, ran my fingers though my hair, and sucked in a deep breath. It took all I had in me to keep still and stop fidgeting and try to relax. A second later the door opened and I was face to face with Alan Bradley once more. The moment I saw him, my anxiety began to fade a bit.

"Alan!" I greeted.

"Rachel…" Alan was speechless, yet he was still smiling through his confusion. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at your launch?"

"No" I said, brushing my hair back. "It's over now. Did you catch it on TV?"

"Of course," he chuckled, putting a hand in his pants pocket. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Still, aren't there usually parties after these kinds of things?"

"Yeah..." I nodded, not quite knowing what to say next. My hands nervously reached to pull at my dress again but I stopped myself. "It really wasn't anything that great though, I didn't feel like staying." … and I really wanted to see you. There was no way I could say it; hopefully that bit could go unspoken.

"Well I'm glad you came by. I haven't seen you in a long time." He said, taking me in.

A grin pulled at the corner of my lips. It seemed to me like he was inviting me in for a friendly hug but I couldn't quite tell.

"Yeah" I nodded, awkwardly stepping in. We hugged each other lightly, our bodies making as little contact as possible. It was very strange. "It's been forever. I'm not used to it."

"Yeah…" Alan said as we pulled away.

A violent shiver ran down my spine then and I quickly wrapped my arms around myself in reflex.

"Wow, it's really cold out here." I blurted out just for the sake of saying something.

"Oh sorry," he said, embarrassed for not thinking about it before. It was a really frigged night. "Come inside, I just put popcorn on. We can celebrate your victory."

I laughed as he stepped aside to usher me in out of the cold. Thank god some things never change. At the office, Alan would always make popcorn and I'd never fail to snag a few bites. Ram on the other hand would try to sneak off with the whole bowl. The guy was a popcorn menace.

"Thanks," I said as he closed the door behind us. "I don't have a coat, I was so nervous about the interview I forgot to bring one when I left my house." I then gave him a sly glance out of the corner of my eye, "It's all just a ploy to get in your house and steal your popcorn."

Alan laughed as he made his way into the spacious living room. The back wall was lined with large floor to ceiling windows, lined with crisp white wood frames and a set of French doors that led out to the backyard. Everything was clean and neat, just how Alan kept things in his office back at ENCOM Tower. White upholstered couches and armchairs matched the dark wood floors. Someday soon I'd be able to afford a house like this, but for now I'd take in Alan's and all the nuances that made it his.

Even though most of the lights were turned off in the house, I could tell that it was very nice. The cool blue-green light from the pool outside filtered in through the windows spilled into the dark living room. Soft tungsten light was stretching across the floor from the doorway of an adjacent room which, judging by the shelves filled with overflowing binders and thick books, was his study.

Alan flipped on a switch for a lamp to give us more light. The soft glow of the side table lamp was warm and easy on my eyes which had been acclimated to the dark. Looking at the room now, I noticed that his walls were not white as I had first thought but a very light blue.

"Sorry things are a bit of a mess," He said as he began clearing up a few things on the coffee table which he thought needed some fixing.

"Don't worry about it, I don't mind."

He then began straightening out the pillows on the couch. I felt like telling him that he didn't have to clean up for me, after all I dropped in on him unexpectedly. Still, he would have insisted anyways.

"You did great on your interview by the way," he said, placing the last blue/gray pillow in the corner of the couch.

"Thanks," I smiled, a warm blush creeping across my cheeks. "I thought it went pretty well. But then again I didn't get to see it… and I'm not really sure I want to."

"Trust me, you were great." He reassured me. "When I was CEO, I hated interviews."

A shadow crossed his face then as old memories of Flynn's disappearance began to surface. The months following were hard on all of us and we were hit with media storm that was so rough, we had no idea how to deal with it. And unfortunately Alan was unexpectedly hurled into the frontlines. He had to take care of an entire company, it's thousands of employees, and Flynn's son, Sam, on top of it all. I stepped closer to him hoping that my proximity would give him some measure of support,

"Well, when all the news is bad news Alan- it's hard." I told him. I wanted to reach out to him but I didn't. "I couldn't imagine having to go through what you did."

"Well, it's over now." He said mustering a smile. Alan never liked talking about Flynn or his duty to Sam. Soon he was back to his old self. "Besides I think someone has already filled the place of renegade in the programmers' world," he said giving me a look, "you and the Flynn Lives group anyways."

"Why thank you." I said with a playful bow.

Just then I heard a timer go off in the kitchen. Alan looked towards the door and then back to me.

"I'll be right back, I have the stove on. Make yourself at home."

"Cool," I nodded as Alan hurried through a doorway, into the kitchen.

I couldn't help but grin when I saw an old Space Paranoids poster framed on the wall. Other gaming memorabilia was randomly mixed in with the rest of the décor. Most of it was TRON stuff. Something next to the couch caught my eye and I wandered over to get a better look. It was a blue and white Identity Disc that was displayed on a side table along with a 4" statuette of a Recognizer. Leaning over, I took in the impressive detail of the little statue. I had a few promo things from ENCOM at my house too, but nothing quite as nice as what Alan had.

"Alan, these models are amazing," I exclaimed, hoping he could hear me from the kitchen.

Alan came back into the living room then, holding a glass bowl of popcorn in his hands. That was when I noticed how he was dressed; no tie, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, his sleeves carelessly pushed up, belted slacks, and no shoes. There was something very attractive about him being dressed so casual. So this is what an executive consultant looks like after work, I thought to myself. I really hoped he couldn't tell that I was gawking but I couldn't help it.

"Oh thanks," he said, seeing that I was admiring his statues. "Those are prototype models from the movie."

"Really?" I gasped in shock. Being such a fan I was barely able to contain my excitement.

"Yeah," Alan laughed, happy to see that I was so excited. "When they were making the film Kevin and I were given a tour of the set. When the director found out that Kevin's nickname for me was Tron he gave me the one of the Identity Disc props."

"Oh my god, that's so cool!" I exclaimed with the widest smile, barely able to keep myself from jumping up and down. "Wow I'm freaking out- I'm such a nerd."

"Don't worry about it, so am I." He said setting the popcorn down on the coffee table and joining me. Picking up the disc, he held it out to me. "Here, it's heavier than it looks."

He was right the disc had some weight to it, probably so it was easier for the actors to throw about. A lighter material would have been harder to work with, taking gravity into account.

I was so glad that Alan was a Tron nerd like me. Not like he wouldn't be, after all he created the program that inspired the game. But to have something like this in common was really nice, especially since I couldn't talk Tron with the workers at Microsoft.

"This is awesome," I told him as I carefully turned the prop over in my hands. "You know, I always thought you looked like Tron… did Kevin do that on purpose?" Luckily the blush that crept up on my cheeks was hidden in the low lamplight. I secretly had a huge crush on Tron and a not-so-secret-anymore crush on Alan. I always figured that Kevin based the character off of him but I never asked.

Alan let out a little embarrassed laugh at my question. After all I was comparing him to a hot hero. "You know, I never asked him. I think Kevin might have borrowed a few things. Definitely not the muscles though."

"Really?" I asked. A playful smile crossed my lips as I handed the disc back to him. "Because I think Kevin got you spot on."

"Thanks," Alan said, putting the prop back on its pedestal with a wry smile. "I think I'll go hit the gym now to try and live up to my fans expectations."

"Or you can sit here and eat tons of popcorn with me." I said slipping out of my heels and curling up on the couch.

"I could do that," he agreed picking up the bowl of popcorn and sitting down next to me.

"Good."

Alan politely left six inches of space on the couch between us which I easily adjusted to three as I reached for a handful of popcorn to pick at. It felt so nice to be this close to him, even if we weren't touching.

Alan and I ate popcorn and talked for hours about what was new in our lives and even reminiscing on the past. I realized that even though so much had changed over the past six months, we still remained the same people inside. Alan and I had not altered since the night in front of Flynn's and it was exciting to know it. It felt like destiny to be with him.

No other man made me feel the way that he did. I knew that I could not have anyone else knowing that he was out there; I wouldn't settle for anything less than him. Alan was the one that I wanted.

"You look beautiful by the way." Alan said after a slight lull in our conversation, trying to mask his slight blush. He may have wanted to have told me this earlier but only now found the courage to do it. I couldn't help but smile shyly and thank him for his complement. The truth was, I did feel beautiful, but I was really hoping that he thought so too.

No wanting to sound conceited I said, "Those makeup artists really know what they are doing." I then tucked a piece of my hair behind my ears.

"Well, I mean… you always look beautiful," Alan stumbled over his words, holding the popcorn bowl a little tighter to him, "It's just tonight, seeing you again, it's really nice."

Alan looked over to me, his blue eyes searching mine to see if what he said was alright. He was so careful sometimes. I bit my lip trying to hold back a beaming smile, a blush spreading across my face once more.

"I'm glad to see you too… I really missed you." I told him. I felt that he needed to know- to understand that I didn't just move on without him, that he wasn't alone in his feelings.

Alan slowly reached out and gently set his hand on my own, his eyes meeting mine. "I missed you too."

Then Alan leaned into me, closing the space between us and brushed his lips against mine in a soft kiss. A warm, exhilarating shiver ran through my body at the feel of his touch. He pulled away slightly, his lips only an inch from my own, waiting to see how I would respond.

I felt his warm steady breath against my skin and I pulled Alan to me, wrapping my arms around his neck as I kissed him feverishly. Gripping fistfuls of his thick hair, I held him against me. Alan responded just as reverently as he wrapped his arms around me tightly. I slipped my tongue between his inviting lips and he began passionately teasing me with his own.

It felt as if the night at the arcade had never ended and we were still kissing each other for the first time. All the passion was still there from before and yet it was even more heightened by the intense longing we felt from being separated from each other for so long. I was tingling with warmth all over from his touch.

"Alan, I couldn't stop thinking about you…" I confessed to him between kisses.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you either," He whispered, his gravelly voice caressing me, "Not since that night at Flynn's. I thought I was never going to see you again."

I then slipped my leg over his and moved onto his lap. "I would have found a way," I told him with a smile. Alan returned the grin as he held the backs of my thighs and looked up at me through his glasses. I wrapped my arms around his neck and Alan pulled me in for another kiss.

Reaching up, I took his glasses off and gingerly set them down on the coffee table behind me. An endearing grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as he looked up at me then without the barrier of glass between us. Cupping the side of his face, I kissed him warmly on the lips once more. It felt so good to be able to kiss him finally after all this time of waiting.

Alan rolled us over then so that we were lying on the couch side by side, our foreheads touching. I laughed slightly as I snuggled closer to him. He wrapped me in his arms a bit tighter then.

"Rachel, you're so beautiful." He whispered. "I never imagined that you would want someone like me…"

"I have always wanted you Alan." I told him cupping his face in my hands and kissing him adamantly. Pulling away I brushed his hair from his eyes. His blue hues connected with mine and I smiled, "I've never wanted anyone else."

Alan then kissed me with equal fervor, wrapping his arms securely around me. I draped my leg over his hip to snuggle closer against him. We kissed and talked until I felt my eyelids grow heavy. Then we fell asleep in each other's arms, not once removing ourselves from the other's embrace. It seemed that Alan and I had finally caught our break.

I knew that it was early in the morning even before I cracked open my eyes. Alan was pressed against my back, his arm wrapped protectively around my middle. We were still on the couch from last night. A smile spread across my face and I curled up closer to Alan as I recalled all that had been said and done only a few hours ago. It had been months since I had left him outside Flynn's Arcade, never imagining that I would see him again. Now I was actually here with him and we were finally together. I was so happy that I could cry.

Alan then began to move behind me, his limp fingers now curling around my thin waist. "Morning," he croaked as he gently nuzzled my neck.

"Hi," I said, placing my hand atop his. "Sorry I woke you up."

"Don't worry about it I usually get up early anyway," he said, propping himself up on his elbow.

I turned on my back so that I could look at him. I realized then that it was so nice to wake up and see his face.

"Do you have work today?" I asked, hoping that he wasn't going to leave me soon. I had the day off seeing as I had my interview last night and the social after.

"I have to go in at four today for a quick meeting but other than that I'm free," he answered.

I nodded as I looped my arms around his neck and brought his face down to mine. "Good," I smiled, giving him a peck on the lips. "Then I get you for a little while longer."

"You sure do," he said with a grin. Alan then leaned in for a sweet kiss. I couldn't help but smile against his lips I was so happy.

Alan got up from the couch about fifteen minutes later to make us some breakfast. I urged him to stay but my growling stomach wasn't convincing him that I wasn't hungry. I let him go once I realized that I'd be able to see if Alan was a good cook or not; my curiosity had gotten the better of me. God knows that the only thing that I could make was pancakes and sandwiches and I needed to look at instructions for one of those.

Stretching out my arms and my back, I finally sat up on the couch. Alan, already working hard in the kitchen, leaned his head out the door and asked, "Before I start making anything serious in here, are you a vegetarian?"

"Sometimes," I replied with a smile, "but not today."

"Great, then Denver omelet it is," he said stepping back into the kitchen and leaving me to my own devices. He looked so sexy with his shirt wrinkled and his hair messed, I thought to myself.

Looking on the coffee table I caught sight of his glasses that he had set there last night. A part of the Alan Bradley uniform I thought as I picked them up. I examined the relic for a moment, running my fingers over their large wire rimmed frames. They were so wonderfully of-the-80's. Still they looked amazing on him and I honestly couldn't imagine Alan in another style.

Curious to see how his vision compared to my own slightly diminished sight, I held them up to my eyes. Dear god, I thought as I immediately pulled them off. It was so blurry looking through those lenses that it was giving me a headache. We obviously had very different vision issues from one another.

"I was thinking about getting a different pair," I heard Alan say from the kitchen doorframe as he came over with two plates of eggs and sat down beside me. He must have noticed me playing with his frames.

"No!" I gasped, instantly turning on the couch to face him. Alan was a bit surprised at how adamant I was. Gently slipping them on his face I added, "I love these."

"You don't think they're too outdated?" He asked as he self consciously set a finger on the edge of the frames and pushed them up the bridge of his nose slightly, still not completely convinced.

"No, they're perfect…" I reassured him as I brushed his hair back, my fingers trailing over the light dusting of grey at his temples that had showed up over the last year or so, "…they're you."

"… and that's a good thing, right?" He asked, now smiling nervously.

"Yes," I laughed, climbing into his lap and placing a light kiss on his cheek. "It's a very good thing."

Alan placed his hands on my hips then, guiding me to his lips. Our eggs and his glasses were forgotten as we kissed each other passionately.

"Are we going to have to meet in secret now that you're a Microsoft girl?" He asked once he pulled away for air, stroking up and down my back with his large hands.

"I don't know ENCOM guy, does Forbs have a gossip column?" I quipped saucily, lightly nipping him on the tip of his nose.

"If they don't I think they'd make an exception for us," Alan said with a sideways smile.

"Yeah…" I muttered then, "What are we going to do about that? The press I mean and everyone else."

"Nothing," Alan said simply.

I pulled back to look at his expression to see if he was joking. "Nothing?" I asked, upon realizing that he wasn't.

"Yep, what does it matter if they know?" He said, stroking my hair, "As long as we're happy that's all that really matters."

Thinking about it, I realized somewhat begrudgingly that Alan was right. It would be a struggle to get on without a lot of questions and nosy people but it would be worth it to be able to stay together. I really didn't care about the press or what people would say. After all I did skip out of my own after party last night to go to Alan's house; my disappearance alone probably arouse suspicion so why not give them a real reason to talk.

"You're right," I nodded before hugging him close to me. "Let them say whatever they want. I hope Dillinger has an aneurism when he finds out."

Alan laughed as he handed me a plate of eggs. "Now wouldn't that be something," he said with a grin.

AN: **P****LEASE REVIEW! I'm only asking for at least one. **I really am interested to hear what people think of this story and I want to write more for TRON but if I don't get any feedback I don't really see the point in writing it. So if you're interested in a Zuse/Castor story I have in the back of my mind let me know. The famous Kizuki program in this story will make a starring appearance in it.


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